Even with most of the attacks taking place in the east, people in the Sauk Valley have had to deal with its aftermath.
The entire day still seems unreal. Planes were crashing into skyscrapers and the Pentagon. Then there was the news about airline passengers attacking the terrorists who had hijacked a plane, which caused them to crash into a Pennsylvania farm field. It felt as if we were under attack.
My first thought that day was about when I got to go to a bar on one of the top floors of one of the twin towers. I was in New York on a business trip, and an advertiser took me to the bar, called Window to the World. It was about 10 p.m., and the sky was clear. It was amazing. But that memory I would soon push aside.
One of my toughest goodbyes was when I watched our son climb on a bus with the rest of Dixon’s Illinois National Guard unit as it left to fight in Afghanistan. His Sargent reassured both my wife and me that he would be okay. I couldn’t hold back the tears as I sat in my car after he had left. Families with members who were part of Rock Falls’ Illinois National Guard unit went through the same trauma when their sons left for war.
I remember later getting a call from our son in Afghanistan at 3 a.m. to tell us he was all right. His unit had been car bombed, and the news had been picked up by the Associated Press. He wanted to make sure we didn’t see the news before he could reassure us.
When he returned safely, I shook the hand of the Sargent who promised our son would return. My wife gave him a big hug and thanked him multiple times for bringing our son back unharmed.
Yes, the 911 terrorist attacks were out East. But those who send their sons and daughters to war will always have their own personal stories. I know they will never forget.
And Then Some…
Living in Dixon means learning a lot about former resident Ronald Reagan. Sometimes, you find yourself learning something new about our former president.
In an Iowa City, Iowa, greasy spoon called Hamburg Inn 2, there is a corner table with a photo and an article on the wall about Ronald and Nancy Reagan having lunch. The article from the University of Iowa’s student newspaper noted that Reagan ate his apple pie first.
As someone who has often thought dessert should come first. I have not done it, but every time my wife and I go back to Hamburg Inn 2, I think I should. After all, even a president thought an apple pie should come before a cheeseburger.
